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Without divine assistance I cannot succeed; with it I cannot fail.

—Abraham Lincoln

Extra Milers

The girls attending girls’ camp from the Evanston Wyoming Stake learned about doing things well as they worked toward receiving the Extra-Mile award.

In the Campcrafter program are six requirements for each level, and the campers are only required to do three of the six. As the stake camp director, Marilee Jackson, put it, “We found that most of the girls were choosing the three easiest, so we tried to get them to accomplish them all by giving the Extra-Mile award.” Ninety percent of those attending camp earned the award.

The leaders of the stake designed a patch for the award that could be sewn on their camp coats along with their Campcrafter patch.

Roughing It

The girls of the Missoula Montana Stake decided to try a backpacking expedition for their camping experience instead of a regular camp. They selected a lake located up a three-mile trail as the location for their primitive camp.

After hiking in, the girls set to work digging latrines and building fire circles. Some braved the icy water of the lake in taking a swim. The certification hikes started from camp and explored the snow fields nearby. They went sledding using plastic garbage bags. They attended classes on survival and were able to put some of the skills learned to good use.

They broke camp by filling in the latrines and burying the fire circles. Although they had fun at their camp experience and left with a new feeling of accomplishment, having done things they never thought they could do, the girls enjoyed getting back to hot showers and the comforts of home.

Mission of Life

The youth of the Provo 26th Ward, Provo Utah Grandview Stake, attended a rather unusual youth conference. Starting on Thursday afternoon, the group went to a lodge in a nearby canyon where they had an enjoyable time learning about some of their purposes in life.

The first evening was spent in settling in and discovering that the conference would include activities that reenacted some of the learning experiences of life. After talking about the premortal existence, a member of the bishopric who is a geology professor presented a slide show on the creation of the world. The following morning, each participant was blindfolded and brought down to breakfast, symbolizing birth and entering mortality. After a few games reminiscent of childhood, each person received a mission call. They attended classes on practical skills such as sewing on buttons and car repair, and special classes on learning a door approach and gospel message to deliver. They ended the morning in a cooking class, where they prepared their own lunches.

The afternoon was spent in sessions about dating and etiquette, including role playing and a dating game. This was followed by a class on career planning. A list of chores that needed to be done around the lodge was posted with a monetary value attached to each. The youth jumped into the chores with vigor and were paid in play money. After learning about banking and paying tithing on their earnings, the youth attended a nice dinner, using their best manners, and paid for their meals with the play money they had earned.

The evening concluded with a talk by the stake president on death and the life hereafter. It was followed by a testimony meeting.

After a breakfast cooked by the bishopric, the youth cleaned up the area and returned home still talking about the things they had learned.

Pole Bender

Lana Fonnesbeck of Bear River City, Utah, won second place in pole bending at the National High School Rodeo Finals. She won the chance to compete when she took first place in the Utah high school finals earlier in the year.

Pole bending is done by riding and weaving a horse between six vertical poles placed in the middle of the rodeo arena. Points are awarded for the time of the run made with no poles knocked over.

Lana competed against 120 contestants from 34 states and 2 provinces of Canada. Lana and her horse, Bullet, finished just seven hundredths of a second behind the winner.

Lana is a member of the National Honor Society. She is a member of the Bear River First Ward, Brigham City Utah North Stake.

Top Math Student

Matthew Dean of Brisbane, Australia, was one of six Queenslanders invited to attend the National Maths Summer School. The summer school enables top math students to exchange ideas and attend lectures by leading professors from Australian universities.

Matthew placed fourth in his age group for Queensland in the state finals of the Australian Mathematic Olympiad and competed for a place in the Australian squad for the International Olympiad.

Matthew, 16, is a priest in the Manly Ward, Brisbane South Stake and serves as seminary president.

What a Girl

Whether cheering the high school teams on to victory or teaching small children how to dance, Krissy Hombs is an all-around girl.

A member of the Poway Second Ward, Poway California Stake, Krissy is an active member of her ward having served as president of her Beehive, Mia Maid, and Laurel classes and having completed her Young Womanhood Recognition. She has also attended four years of seminary. In school she was a cheerleader for three years and was elected homecoming queen.

Krissy takes tap and jazz dance lessons and uses what she learns in teaching elementary school children to dance.

Medal of Merit

Sixteen-year-old Steven D. McKell of Salt Lake City, who was kidnapped at gunpoint but was able to free himself, received Scouting’s Medal of Merit for his bravery.

The FBI report of the incident reads:

“While alone at his home, Steven was confronted by a person who represented himself as a deliveryman. The man at the door had a truck-type dolly with a large cardboard box on it.

“The man indicated he had a document that Steven should sign as a receipt for the package. As the youth started to do this, the deliveryman pulled out a handgun, held it against Steven’s cheek, and forced him into the house.

“The man placed leg irons and handcuffs on Steven and forced him to lie on the floor. Steven’s mouth was then stuffed with a bandanna, and the bandanna was taped in place. Pads of cotton were placed over his eyes and taped closed. A nylon stocking was pulled over his head to keep the bandanna and pads in place.”

Steven was told to get inside the carton, which was then hauled out of the house on the dolly and lifted into the van, which was driven to a location about 10 minutes away.

The boy was led into an old rabbit hutch where boards were nailed over him. He was told by his captor not to try to escape since someone would be watching him.

“I didn’t believe him,” said Steven, “so when I heard him drive away, I began kicking my feet until I could get out of the frame. In my efforts to get free, I felt a nail against my nose and used that to pull the blindfold off.”

Steven was still gagged and cuffed hand and foot, but he could see and move. He made short jumps toward the road and attracted the attention of a jogger, who removed his gag and carried him over his shoulder to a nearby home. From there, Steven called his father, allowing enough time for the local police and the FBI to set a trap for the kidnapper, who was caught, convicted, and imprisoned.

Steven received the national Scouting office medal at a court of honor. He is a member of the Butler 12th Ward, Salt Lake Butler Stake.

Green Thumbs

Over 100 young people and their advisers from the Ft. Collins Colorado Stake teamed up with the U. S. Forest Service to rehabilitate a large meadow in the Roosevelt National Forest.

The young people worked with their leaders and forest service personnel to improve trails, repair bridges, and reseed bare areas. The stake received a special certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and all along the trail are several small signs describing the Forest Service projects and mentioning the LDS youth who initiated the work.

Business Award

Lorna Winn of the Memorial Park Ward, Houston Texas Stake, was named to the United States Achievement Academy for Business Education. Lorna also graduated with honors from her high school.

Lorna is active in her ward and served as the Laurel class president.

She Counts

Jeannie Rueschhoff serves as president of the Accounting Club at Indiana State University. She has been selected for Who’s Who among Students in American Universities. She is also actively involved in other school activities as well as the Wabash Valley Chapter of the National Association of Accountants as a student member.

Jeannie teaches Social Relations in Relief Society for the Terre Haute Second Ward, Bloomington Indiana Stake.

Miss Quito Finalist

Jackeline Martinez Roman of the Colon Ward, Quito Ecuador Colon Stake, was recently selected as second runner-up in the Miss Quito contest, part of the annual celebration of Ecuador’s capital. She was nominated by her employers. Jackeline, along with the girls selected as Miss Quito and first runner-up, will spend time during the year raising funds for the elderly and underprivileged and attending activities sponsored by the city.

Jackeline hopes her new position will offer some good opportunities for missionary work. In fact, Miss Quito and the first runner-up have already asked about the Church and its beliefs, and Jackeline was happy to explain.

Although born in Ecuador, Jackeline lived for nine years in Maryland in the United States, where she attended school. She has served as seminary president and as a teacher in the Primary and Sunday School, and she is presently serving as Primary secretary.

Athletic Derek

The first thing you notice about Derek Schiffman is his red hair and freckles. The second thing is his athletic ability.

Even though Derek is 15, he has already won several state, regional, and national championships in various sports. His particular favorite is soccer.

He participated in the Utah AAU Junior Olympic Track Championships while playing in a soccer tournament during the same time period. Since the soccer games interfered with his participation in several of his stronger track events, he entered the pentathlon. He won the gold medal. He went on to take the gold in the Western Regional Championships as well.

In soccer, he is the leading scorer in his division. He also plays on the Utah All-Star Team.

Derek is an excellent student and is active in the Sandy Fifth Ward, Sandy Utah Stake.

Dinner Down Under

Interesting things happen in Australia when the chapel recreation hall is transformed into a “five-star” restaurant. The youth of the Frankston Ward, Melbourne Australia Moorabbin Stake, serve dinner to the “old fogies” 18 years and over.

Organized by a special youth committee, this is the second year that the young people have put on the dinner complete with entertainment, printed menus, reserved tables, and valet parking. Dressed neatly in white shirts and black trousers or skirts with red bow ties and cummerbunds, the young men and women acted as waiters while others put on a floor show and musical numbers. The young men performed the popular Waiters’ Gallop, a musical serving of dessert which ended in a shaving-cream pie fight.

Four young men known as the Waitershop Quartet also sang their way through a number of old-time songs, much to the delight of their audience.

The evening was used as a missionary tool for reaching out to inactives and nonmember friends who were either entertained or took part in the performance. As a result the youth of the Frankston Ward have become strengthened in their unity and have the confidence and experience of staging a successful night of fun and food.

To Christy

The Young Women of the Brigham City 20th Ward, Brigham City Utah Stake, dedicated a flagpole in front of the chapel to Christy Cheney, a member of the Beehive Class who died from a brain tumor.

The girls raised the funds to purchase the flagpole, and the ward’s priest quorum volunteered to install it in addition to making a monetary contribution.

Flowers were planted at the base of the pole, and an outdoor ceremony was held to dedicate the pole and raise the first flag. A plaque was installed dedicating the monument to Christy Cheney and mentioning the inspiration she had been to the ward.